COPD Board decisions

The Board has ordered additional development of the record to determine if the veteran's respiratory disability and heart murmur are related to service, including exposure to asbestos. The case will be returned for further consideration.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to COPD, finding that there was no evidence linking COPD to the veteran's service or any other established event, injury, or disease in service. The Board also found that COPD is not a condition presumed related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for further development of evidence regarding the veteran's exposure to mustard gas during World War II.

The Board granted an effective date of December 23, 1998 for a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for double pneumonia and granted it. The claims for COPD and scarring of the lungs were also granted, with COPD being determined to be related to service due to its chronic nature and history of exacerbations. Service connection was established for all conditions based on direct evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current respiratory disorder, diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.

The VA determined that none of the veteran's service-connected conditions caused or contributed to his death.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, disability manifested by a lump in the chest, COPD, and arthritis were denied as they are not related to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA and private medical records, as well as for the veteran to provide authorization for these records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder, specifically bronchiectasis. The medical opinion provided indicates that the veteran's pre-existing pneumonia during service accelerated his existing bronchiectasis, necessitating a lobectomy of the left lower lobe of the lung.

The Board finds that the appellant's currently diagnosed respiratory disorder, back disability, and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD was not incurred as a result of his service-connected bronchiectasis and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back, respiratory, and cardiac disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The hypertension was also not related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his autoimmune disorder with COPD and multiple joint swelling, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including VCAA notification requirements and clarification of the veteran's claims.

The Board found no evidence of asbestos exposure during service and concluded that the veteran's current respiratory disability, including COPD, is not related to his military service.

The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant's claim for non-service connected death pension benefits is denied.

The veteran's COPD was initially evaluated at 60 percent effective August 28, 2001. The RO granted this evaluation based on the results of pulmonary function tests showing FEV-1 between 51 to 78 percent predicted and a FEV-1/FVC ratio between 61 to 128 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied service connection for the cause of death. The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 was also denied as there was no evidence showing continuous total service-connected disability rating prior to death.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, which was denied in February 1999. The appellant has provided medical records showing treatment for COPD but these are not considered sufficient to establish a link between service and the cause of death.